Gastrointestinal pathology is a medical specialty that studies diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Specialists examine biopsies and surgical resections for diagnostic purposes, and provide treatment recommendations. Patients may seek out a specialist for a second opinion or further insights. A pathology report provides details of the specimen tested, any abnormalities observed, and recommendations.
Gastrointestinal pathology is a medical specialty that focuses on the study of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Specialists in this field are trained as surgical pathologists and then receive additional training in a gastrointestinal pathology fellowship. This training is time consuming and exposes the clinician to a huge number of samples for learning purposes. There are a limited number of these surgical sub-specialists available because they are not in high demand and tend to be concentrated in urban areas where there is a large supply of potential clients available.
Pathology in general is the study of disease. In the case of gastrointestinal pathology, the field involves the study of lesions and abnormalities found in the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, along with related organs such as the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. Specialists in this field examine biopsies and surgical resections for diagnostic purposes.
The study of gastrointestinal pathology includes the study of diseases that can impact the gastrointestinal tract, such as irritable bowel disease and celiac disease. People in this field also study lesions, such as tumors; bruises; and injuries caused by trauma or radiation damage that can be found in the intestines and associated organs. A specialist can examine a biopsy specimen to determine what is causing a lesion and make treatment recommendations based on that.
A doctor may call a gastrointestinal pathologist for a consult about a case if the doctor thinks the patient would benefit from the services of a pathology specialist. In other cases, samples taken from patients are reviewed by a general pathologist. For many needs, general pathologists are entirely adequate, but for more obscure conditions, an expert who has seen numerous patient samples with gastrointestinal conditions may be more suitable.
Patients may also seek out a gastrointestinal pathologist for the purpose of obtaining a second opinion or further insights. The specialist can review the patient file and take new samples for analysis to provide input on the patient’s case. Seeing a specialist can sometimes narrow down a diagnosis quicker since the specialist is more likely to have seen someone with similar complaints.
A pathology report from a gastrointestinal pathologist will provide details of the specimen tested, any abnormalities or changes observed, and recommendations. The report is usually read by the general practitioner, who interprets it for the patient. However, patients can request to personally examine the report and have it explained by the specialist in gastrointestinal pathology or by their general practitioner.
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